A PACKED Boeing 777 from London was forced to make an emergency landing in Siberia today after suffering "engine failure" mid-air.
The Air China jet, carrying 311 passengers and crew to Beijing, diverted to Nizhnevartovsk in Russia's Khanty-Mansi region, touching down at 8.17am local time.
Footage showed the giant aircraft rolling onto the tarmac in the oil city -- a place rarely visited by flights out of Britain.
The plane had taken off from Heathrow at 10.43pm last night before running into trouble over Russian airspace.
It is not yet clear how many British citizens were on board.
Airport staff scrambled to handle the sudden arrival.
One eyewitness told Russian outlet Baza: "Airport services were on high alert for the unexpected guest.
"It's not every year that such a flight from the UK arrives in Nizhnevartovsk.
"But they prepared quickly -- a suitable boarding ramp was immediately brought to the plane.
"What happens next is still unknown.
"Most likely, the company will send a reserve aircraft along with technicians and parts, since local technicians definitely will not be able to repair such a large airliner in Nizhnevartovsk."
Passengers now face uncertainty over where they will stay.
The city lies 1,435 miles east of Moscow, with limited facilities for such a large influx of travellers.
According to Baza, "it is also unknown where such a large number of passengers will stay during the time the reserve aircraft is en route."
"It will be difficult to fit all the people in the local airport's holding area," the report added.
Even if hotels are made available, Westerners could struggle -- British bank cards no longer work in Russia due to sanctions.
The Foreign Office continues to warn against all travel to Putin's country, with officials stressing foreigners risk detention or prosecution for activities seen as "against Russian interests."
The pilots chose Nizhnevartovsk because the weather was clear and the long runway could safely handle the widebody jet, according to reports.
The Ural Transport Prosecutor's Office has since confirmed the emergency landing.
The Sun has contacted Air China for more information.
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